


And Some Benefits

by Chash



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-20
Updated: 2010-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-24 14:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/264595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The school play casting gets Jensen nervous, and Jared has no idea why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And Some Benefits

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: mentions of homophobia

Jensen is already in the auditorium saving him a seat when Jared gets there, which is one of the many awesome things about having a best friend who's actually punctual.

"Hey!" he whispers, grinning at Jensen as he moves his backpack out of the way. "What'd I miss?"

Jensen rolls his eyes. "Just Mrs. Nelson saying hi. What were you even doing?"

"I dropped my backpack, everything spilled," says Jared, sighing. "Seriously, it was tragic."

"Mr. Padalecki, Mr. Ackles, anything you'd like to share with the group?" asks Mrs. Nelson, looking at them over her glasses.

"Jared is a spaz, but what else is new?" says Jensen, giving Mrs. Nelson a big smile.

"Oh, shut up," says Jared, elbowing him. "Jerk."

"If Mr. Padalecki's--issues," says Mrs. Nelson delicately, "aren't anything noteworthy, you can wait to talk about them, Mr. Ackles. Quiet down."

"Sorry, Mrs. Nelson," they chime.

Mrs. Nelson shakes her head with a smile. "Now, I know you've all been wondering what work of Shakespeare we'll be performing this year--I had been planning on _Twelfth Night_ , but some parents had some concerns with the character of Antonio, so it was decided that we would change," she continues, making a face.

"Who's Antonio?" Jared whispers Jensen, who looks like he ate a lemon.

"He's--kind of gay, I guess," says Jensen slowly. "You can read it that way."

"Oh," says Jared. He's always surprised to hear that anyone wrote about gay people before, like, the seventies He knows they existed, but he thought it was so secret no one talked about, or even knew about unless they _were_ gay.

"It's stupid," says Jensen, shrugging. "He's a minor character, and--whatever. It's dumb."

"Obviously," says Jared, and zones in when Mrs. Nelson says, "Juliet!"

"Romeo and Juliet?" Jared asks, dubious and way too loud.

"Yes, Mr. Padalecki," says Mrs. Nelson. "Is there a problem?"

"It's so--done," says Jared.

"Why is misguided teen suicide better than subtextual homosexuality?" Jensen asks.

"Ooh, look who's studying for his SATs," says Genevieve, snorting.

"Bite me," says Jensen, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Simmer!" says Mrs. Nelson. "We are doing Romeo and Juliet, everyone. Now, get up here for warm-ups."

*

Jensen generally gets better roles than Jared. After ten years of friendship and three years of theater, Jared is zen with this. He can tease Jensen that it's because Jensen is prettier, which helps, and tell himself that it's because he sucks at memorizing lines, which he does.

So he's not surprised when the cast list for Romeo and Juliet goes up, and Jensen is Romeo, and he's Bevolio.

" _Dude_ ," says Jared, elbowing Jensen in the ribs. "You totally get to make out with Katie. Lucky bastard."

Jensen doesn't look happy, though. He makes a face and looks away.

"Jensen?"

"I gotta go to class."

"We have the same class, dumbass," says Jared.

"Well then come on," says Jensen, and starts walking without giving Jared a chance to respond.

*

"Okay, seriously," says Jared, when he and Jensen get back to his room after school. Jensen comes over almost every day after school, and Jared almost thought he was going to bail. He's acting that weird. "What is up with you, man? You're the fucking lead in the play! Why aren't you dancing for joy?"

Jensen looks away miserably. "You're gonna laugh," he says.

Jared considers. "It is entirely possible. But I'll also be supportive and helpful and your best friend, so _tell me_."

Jensen flops down on Jared's bed with a sigh. "I, uh. I have to kiss Katie."

"Right," says Jared.

"I--don't want my first kiss to be a stage kiss. Which, fuck you, I know makes me a girl or whatever, but--seriously, I don't."

Jared blinks. It's not so much that he thinks it makes Jensen a girl as--Jensen's never kissed anyone? Jensen is seventeen, and pretty popular, and tons of girls would totally kiss him. Happily. "No, I get that," he says. "I wouldn't want that either." He clears his throat. "No one?"

"What?" asks Jensen.

"You've never kissed anyone?"

"No," says Jensen, flushing.

"But--what about, um, that girl in eighth grade? Whatshername, Joanna?"

"Yeah, that was like--ten minutes. We didn't do anything."

"Oh," says Jared. "Well. Dude, you're not hard on the eyes or anything. You could find a girlfriend in about five seconds if you tried."

Jensen groans.

"No, seriously!" says Jared. "I think Kristen would date you, and--"

"I'm gay," says Jensen.

Jared freezes.

"So--I don't just want to find a girlfriend."

"You're gay?" asks Jared.

"Yeah," says Jensen, awkwardly.

"How long?"

Jensen snorts. "My whole life, dipshit."

"No, I mean--how long have you known?"

"A while," says Jensen, awkwardly.

"Oh," says Jared. He licks his lips. "Well, I don't care. I mean--I don't mind. And I'm glad you told me. And--yeah. No girlfriends. Got it."

"Yeah," Jensen agrees.

They're quiet for a while, and Jensen is looking--nervous and unhappy and kind of generally stressed, so Jared goes over and flops next to him on the bed, nudging Jensen's knee with his toe. Jensen glances over.

"Okay, I got a solution."

"To what?"

"Your kissing thing. You can kiss me, and then it won't be a thing. And I won't be as good as a boyfriend, since you don't want to date me or anything, but I don't really know where to find you a boyfriend before the show."

Jensen stares at Jared for a minute. "Jared."

"Or I could try to find you a boyfriend, but--I don't know any other gay guys."

" _Jared_."

"What?"

"You don't want to kiss me."

"I don't _not_ want to kiss you," says Jared. It's true--he has nothing against kissing Jensen. He likes Jensen. Jensen is funny, and awesome, and his best friend, and pretty good looking. "And I can totally tell all your future boyfriends how great you are at kissing and talk you up! It's perfect." His face falls. "Unless you don't want to kiss me. Which is fine, you know--"

"I want to kiss you," Jensen says quickly. He turns red. "I, um. _Jared_. You don't want to kiss me because I'm gay. And have a crush on you. And--"

Jared leans across the bed and kisses Jensen. Jensen squeaks and flails away.

Jared smiles. "Nope. I still want to kiss you."

Jensen stares for a minute, and then he's kissing Jared all at once, too hard and totally inexperienced, and Jared wraps his arms around Jensen and tries to take control of the kiss, just to calm Jensen down a little. Jensen gets the message, and then it's way, way better.

It's awesome, actually.

Jensen pulls away, flushed and smiling, and Jared is going to kiss him all the time now.

"So, uh, how long have you been gay?" Jensen asks, laughing.

"About two minutes," says Jared, leaning in for another kiss. "But, man, I think it's really gonna work for me."


End file.
